Debt Dumpers 2026

[EilonwyWanderer]

I'm alive! But so cold.

Financial

1. The 0 APR credit card was a bad idea! We didn't save any money--I guess except in what we saved in interest? Anyway, that promo ends on March 2nd and I'm going to pay it off on the 20th of this month. Yay, I guess.
2. That will leave us with the Big Credit Card which we've been doing a not so bad job of not spending a ton on! But it's still got a huge balance. I did out the math and while these things always look good on paper, I THINK we can ACTUALLY FOR REAL get this under control by next fall.
3. Stop eating out. Doing pretty good with this! Do we still eat out? Yes. But we do it a LOT less!

Health, Fitness & Self Care

1. Who has two thumbs and is on Zepbound? Me! I was on Wegovy but I had horrible, horrible side effects to the point where it was just not worth it. Took a break, gained back all the weight (boo) and now this one has a more painful shot, but slightly less side effects so we'll see. Already down 15 pounds since December and I have NOT been doing any exercise (we'll get to that).
2. Cook more at home. We're doing pretty well with this so long as we go to the grocery store on Sundays--going to the store is the real dealbreaker with this. But planning menus with the kids is pretty fun!
3. It is TOO COLD TO DO ANYTHING! There's no walking anywhere but inside since there's SO MUCH SNOW and we haven't been above freezing in like a month. So many ice dams.

Home/Projects

1. I painted the dining room! yay! I'm not sure I like it but promised my husband I wouldn't repaint it for at least a year.
2. Still need to do the board and batten thing, but I bought the wood! And the nailgun I'm afraid of! I'm working myself up to it.
3. Get a plumber for the leak under the sink. I cannot do this myself.
4. Replace/fix screens on the windows. I can probably do this myself. Maybe.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Going back to the topic of laundry for a moment, be sure to clean your dryer lint trap often (I clean mine after every load). Not only is a filled lint trap a fire hazard, it also reduces the efficiency of your dryer. Another consideration is that the lint is made up from clothing fibers - proof that laundry wears down what you're washing.

Also don't just clean out the lint trap in the front. Dh goes into the crawl space and cleans the entire set of ducts that lead outside. Believe me, it collects a lot of lint and I empty the trap after every load and sometimes vacuum it out. We have seen little fluffy bits of lint collect outside in the grass under the exhaust vent. When my brother saw this (he does HVAC) he said we need some type of divider because our dryer exhaust vent on the side of the house is right next to our AC unit and he showed us tiny bits of lint that was collecting on the condenser fins. Not good. So dh put up a mini piece of vinyl fence next to the AC unit to cut down on debris blowing into it. We hose it down in the spring.

Also if you're a lover of birds, toss the lint into your backyard in the spring. The birds will take it and incorperate into their nests. I'm sure their babies would love the soft, fluffy cotton from a load of towels.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I think the meal that goes the furthest for us is a whole chicken roast. Dh is quite content to pick the meat off the carcass (this just gags me for some reason). He chops up the leftover breast meat and we have Caesar wraps for lunch the next day. He also sets some aside to make chicken salad sandwiches and Chinese food. (I don't eat the Chinese food so I can't even tell you all the things he makes. I know it has a lot of sauces on it and the smell of them gags me.) The one thing for sure he makes is chicken fried rice. Thank God for dh. He can easily spend 45 more minutes in the kitchen after dinner and dishes are done, just chopping the meat and putting it all in ziploc bags. Some stays in the fridge and some goes to the freezer. He is so organized. I'd be lost without him.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Also don't just clean out the lint trap in the front. Dh goes into the crawl space and cleans the entire set of ducts that lead outside. Believe me, it collects a lot of lint and I empty the trap after every load and sometimes vacuum it out. We have seen little fluffy bits of lint collect outside in the grass under the exhaust vent

We've done it two ways, an attachment and using a leaf blower (with sucking power into a bag).

We have an attachment that is a brush attaching to a drill with a long tube. It works decently enough to get the duct work right at the dryer however like nearly every newer-ish 2-story home here the laundry is located on the 2nd story and the vent is out the roof. My husband is willing and able at this time to get on the roof (with fall protection gear as well and he has done it for installing gutter guards) but yeah for those who can't it is probably worth hiring out that service. I'm not sure but it's possible a gutter cleaning service may do something like that as an add-on and a duct cleaning company.

For homeowners that have it going out the side of their house a leaf blower can be a good option plus the attachment.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I will check into running stores. As long as they carry NIke, Under Armor or Adidas, I will look at them. That' what my DW likes me wearing. Might be cheaper than some place like Academy or the Nike outlet.

When it comes to shoes the brand is inconsequential, it's how well it's made and how well your feet and body do in it. Not every brand works for every person and over time you may need to switch to other types of shoes. Go diversify or commit to only buying the shoes when they are on a very very good sale.

My really old shoes when they got too bad became "mowing" shoes meant for when I mow the grass and I didn't care about grass stains but those eventually had to be tossed and new "really old shoes" replaced them.

 

[pblack]

I love watching Zach Coen's meal prep videos, ive never made any of his recipes though. My quick, easy, relatively inexpensive dinner is mashed potato bowls. Chicken tenders (or popcorn chicken), instant mashed potatoes, shredded cheese, corn, and gravy (for dh, not me) and bam, dinner is done. Usually takes less than 30 mins to put together and is what we're having tonight actually .

I also love the frozen already cooked tyson teriyaki chicken filets from Sam's or costco. Decently priced and a quick easy meal to pair with rice and veggies. These days im all about quick and easy because I just don't have the motivation.